The Free Spirit
by Lupus Silvae
Summary: Going on his third year in captivity, he had no hope, no faith. He accepted his fate with little reluctance, and the light that had once glowed in his bright, emerald eyes had flickered and died. Even the freest, wildest spirit had been broken.


This was a one-shot edited and posted so I wouldn't post Incinerated. Trying to pace myself, but I figured one-shots in the meantime wouldn't matter. Hehe. Pushing my own boundaries... wow. Enjoy!

~Wolf~

* * *

It had been two years. Two excruciating, agonizing years separated from everyone he cared about. In the beginning, he had fought it. Like he had always sworn, he battled on as a free spirit unwillingly bound. Before, the defenses required to keep him contained were astronomical, and he was still confident in his chains. Now, there was oftentimes not even a single guard to restrain him, although the chains remained. In two years, even the freest, wildest spirit had been broken.

At first, he believed he could escape on his own. The second year, he had lost faith. He hoped his friends still searched, and maybe they could do something. Going on his third year in captivity, he had no hope, no faith. He accepted his fate with little reluctance, and the light that had once glowed in his bright, emerald eyes had flickered and died. They were dark, and only revealed how hopeless he had become.

Now, the broken spirit was cowering in the farthest, darkest corner of his cell. His fur was matted with dried blood and faded to a slate gray blue. The metal walls that surrounded him had once been hated, but now they were simply more barriers. He had no reason to fight them. If he did, they would hurt _him_ more than he hurt them. The amount of pain he was in when he was _motionless_ was enough. He had no need for more.

The distant clank of metal forced him to slowly open his eyes. This was it: reality. His death came closer with every step of that android, and he knew it. His body had been strong enough to take the "testing" before, but he was broken now. He would not survive it. His captor had never had mercy on him, never missing one of the weekly "tests" of endurance. _Torture's more like it. _

He had finally surrendered. While he realized he had sworn to never do so, his reality had forced him to break the vow. He only prayed that as the seasons had passed and the years slowly drifted by, his friends remembered him as he was before this: who he used to be. He wanted them to remember the one who stared death in the eye and lived to tell about it, the one who fought against the odds as if they were nonexistent; not the weak, broken and defenseless one he was now.

He wished he could fight again. He wished he could keep on, to not accept this fate. Yet he could not, that much was certain. He could barely stand, much less bolt through waves of androids to escape. It was over. Everything was over. In the past, he had been a soldier. Maybe he still was, but now he was mortally wounded. Nothing was left in him.

Glancing through the partitioned cell bars, he saw the android he had heard earlier. It was all too familiar. It led him away every week, as it would today. Yet today was different. Today was the last day he would see this android. It was leading him to his death, and he did not fight. Really, whether it took him or not, it would be his last day with it. His will to live was nonexistent, so if it left him laying where he was, he would still die. He was done fighting.

It glanced at him, emotionless as always. In its metallic, digital voice, it spoke to him: "The Doctor requests your presence." The words had become meaningless. They were heard far too often. Two years ago, he would have snapped back in protest. Now, once the android had removed the restraints, he weakly pushed himself to his feet in obedience. He was leaning heavily against the wall for support. While it was not obvious when he was lying down, it was when he stood: his right leg had been severely broken.

It had happened months ago, and had been the final blow that shattered his willpower. His entire life relied on his ability to maneuver and run. When he lost that, he lost everything. Everything that had given him hope or faith had been snatched away in that one mistimed jump. He had cursed it daily, nearly crying from the pain, hopelessness, and frustration. He did not even bother now. He lost _everything. _Today would simply finalize that.

Limping forward at a speed he would have cringed at before, he made his way towards the testing facility. It would be final. This trip was normally always slow, but it had been because of his determined fighting, refusing to move forward. Many times he had to be knocked unconscious before he would be taken. Once, he had escaped, and managed to run through most of the base. Not a single exit had been found. Out of all the pathways, he could not think of one that would let him leave this God-forsaken place.

Lost in thought, he had managed to step wrong, re-injuring his leg. Biting back a scream of agony and infuriation, he fell forward. The android stopped and waited for him to stand again, like normal. He tried, but his leg buckled under him. Instead of working to regain footing and balance, he allowed himself to collapse. He half curled into a defensive ball, and refused to move. The android observed silently, confused. "Come."

"No."

"The Doctor will have you killed if you do not."

"I'll get the same result if I do." The android ambled off, and he watched it go. Silently, he closed his eyes and cried. He didn't want to be here, yet he couldn't go on. "Kill me now. Get it over with," he muttered.

In the far distance, almost as if it was in his mind, he barely heard the whisper of a voice he had thought he'd forgotten: "Remember who you are, hero!" Out of the blackness of his mind's eye appeared a young, lithe, female hedgehog. She seemed to materialize out of thin air, gazing at him sympathetically. When she reached him, she simply spoke:"If you lose yourself in the sorrow, your courage will fail you."

"It already has."

"It has not. It never did. Be strong tonight, and you'll survive." She stroked his ear softly, and he winced when she brushed against an old wound. Why did an illusion's touch hurt? Was he that weak? "Remember who you are, Sonic."

Sonic… That was his name, wasn't it? He hadn't heard it for years. All he had been referred to as was "hedgehog", "captive", or a sarcastic "hero." After almost three years, he was not the same captive. He was the hero that made a single mistake, and it cost him far too much. He was not the same. "Was… who I was. I am no longer the one you know."

"You are," she protested. "You're a hero. A soldier."

"I am no hero. I surrendered."

"No, you're fighting. You will fight. You will be free, if you do not give up now. It's worth it."

Amy's faded image disappeared when he opened his eyes, but she did not leave him completely. Her spirit, it seemed, remained with him. Forcing back the pain, emotional and physical, he pushed himself weakly to his knees. After that, he managed to stand, although favoring his right side. He limped forward, one step at a time. Progress was slow, but it was progress. The android would not be back for a while, if the distance to his captor was as far as he thought. Instead of moving towards him, he moved in the opposite direction. It was the one hallway he had not been able to look down in his escapade a year ago. He had been recaptured before he could.

He took his chance now. Slowly, he made his way through the pitch black shadows. Forward, ever forward, did he move. His hand brushed up against a hinge: something that had to swing open. Cautiously, he threw his entire weight, normally seventy-seven pounds, but now barely fifty, against it. With a crash, the door swung open, and sunlight drifted in from the outside. It was raining, but the sun was still brighter than anything he had seen for two years. He nearly cried with joy at the sight of it, but it was cut short by the arrival of his captor and the android.

"Nice try, hedgehog. It took you two years to even find that door, but now you're surrounded again." Sonic debated bolting, but noticed the wires surrounding the doorframe, likely sending thousands of volts of electricity across the exit. "There's plenty of power there to kill you, if that's what you're wondering. You know, I'm feeling good about this. If you go through it and survive, you can go free. Besides, you're practically useless as a test subject in your current condition."

He glanced at the doorway, then back at the android and captor. He smirked. For the first time in a year, he smirked. "I will."

"Then let's see it."

Cautiously, slowly, he backed up a step, wincing at the pain in his broken limb. It nearly made him question if it was worth it. Then the wind he had missed so dearly blew against his quills and ears, whispering promises of freedom. It murmured the names of his allies, the ones he had not seen for years. His eyes, which were previously dim, had flickered back to life. The flame of hope that had died so long ago had been revived. He wanted to return home, and this was the way.

In seconds, he had shot through the doorway, so invigorated with passion that he didn't even feel any pain. He landed and tumbled on the other side, quickly standing to ensure the promise made would be kept. No androids followed. He was free. For the first time in three years, he was free. The rain pelted his fur, slowly washing away the dried blood that stained it. It was the only time he did not mind being wet. The water made his grayish fur look azure again, and he cried unashamedly. He was _free._

He glanced at the long road that led to his friends. It would be a challenge, but he did not care. Where they were was home. He didn't care where that was, but he would find it. His heart beat wildly at the thought. He couldn't stand the distance between him and them for another second. All he wanted was to see them again. So he began walking forward.

He didn't know how he was going to make it, but he knew he was. No matter what road he took, he _would _return to them. In his darkest hour, they had helped him start again. He owed them his life. He would see them and thank them for it. No matter how long it took him to get there.

Inside the base, the android scanned the door. "Doctor, the wires are useless. Why did you tell the captive he could go?"

The scientist sighed. "I've known him since he was three. Fought him since he was six. He was the only one who ever had enough faith to keep fighting. I had him, I had beaten him. I proved that to him over and over again. To tell the truth, I thought it would simply infuriate him. At first, it did. Then, when his leg was broken, which I still say was an accident, he stopped fighting. And, while I don't know why, it almost hurt to see something quite that free so willing to die."

"I do not understand."

"Me neither. I'll probably regret it if he recovers. But now… it feels good to see him happy again. Go figure."

***

Two months later, and he was almost home. Landmarks had become familiar again. He had met an old wolf healer on the way, who had managed to mend his leg. She had said it was already mostly mended, and it hurt because of an infection. For three weeks, he stayed with her. Directly afterwards, he began retraining himself. Now he shot down the familiar path with vigor he had not had in ages. While not as fast as he was before and still moving with a slight limp, he pressed ever-onward.

He heard the whir of a biplane engine behind him, and his ears flicked towards the source of the sound. It had to be Tails. The purr grew into a roar as the plane flew overhead. Sonic couldn't take it any longer, and he bolted forward as fast as he could.

***

Tails glanced over the side of his plane, wondering if his eyes had deceived him. Had it been? It couldn't be. Not after two years. The sonic boom that rattled his plane made his doubts disappear. With a shout of joy and celebration, he landed the Tornado and leapt out of the cockpit. He raced towards his brother, whom he had assumed dead long ago, and practically tackled him. The fox was crying hysterically, embracing Sonic with passion and disbelief. "You're alive! You're alive!"

Sonic said nothing, simply holding Tails close to him as he wept. The kitsune had matured over the years, but it did not reveal itself in his childish greeting of his brother. "Where were you?!" exclaimed Tails.

"It's a long story, with three years' worth of information. I'd rather only tell it once."

"I get it! Hop in, and we'll fly to my place. I'll call Amy and Knuckles. They'll be thrilled! Oh, Sonic… I… I can't believe you're here!"

"Me neither, Tails. But what was the last thing I said to you, before I left?"

"That you'd come back," sniffled the fox.

"And I did. Now let's go… we have a lot of catching up to do."

***

Sonic was absolutely exhausted, but he masked it so no one could tell. When Knuckles arrived, it was the first time Sonic had seen the echidna emotional. In the beginning, it seemed as if he had thought Tails had finally snapped. Still, the joy on the Guardian's face when he saw Sonic alive was nothing compared to Amy's reaction. The female stepped into the workshop, head low and eyes dim. When her eyes met his, though, she lit up with a passion.

Within seconds, the two were locked in a tight embrace, Amy weeping and laughing all at the same time. "It worked! It really worked!" she cried.

"What worked?"

"I prayed… I prayed that I could see if you were alive or not. Not having any closure was killing all of us. Three months ago, it was answered. I saw you! I was with you! I thought you were dead at first, but I had to find out. You spoke to me, but when I woke up, I thought it was just a dream. But… but you're here!" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with excitement and leftover sorrow.

"I am. If it wasn't for you, though, I wouldn't be."

"I know. I… I'd never seen you so broken before."

"And you never will again, Ames. I promise."

Knuckles walked over and shoved himself between the two. "I was told I was getting a story out of this," he stated impishly.

Sonic returned it with a playful glare, but took a seat on one of Tails' old creations. "Alright, then. You want a story? I'll give you one. And I guarantee you'll never hear one like it again…"


End file.
